Afro Puffs & Frohawks

Every woman who has gone natural has worn this at least once: The Afro Puff: But it doesn't have to be boring, here are some new variations on an old favorite.

I think the quickest and easiest style to create on napptural hair besides the twa, is the afro puff. But wearing an afro puff doesn't always mean you have to look like Thelma on Good Times. You can create many different looks based on the stock standard puff. At the bottom of this section are some handy hints to keep your puff looking fresh all day. I admit, in summer the afro puff is the style I wear 80% of the itme because it's so easy. But if you wear a puff often, you need to take care of your ends!

The first example is my most basic afro puff. To tie it up with a scarf as shown, you will need a long, narrow scarf. Around 2-3 feet long and 5 inches wide. The longer it is the more of a wrap you get.

Place the middle of the length of scarf at your front hairline and bring the ends around to the back of your head.

Switch each end to the opposite hand, bring the ends up to the front of your head, making a loop around your hair. You may want bend over at the waist to do this.

Twist the ends around each other, like you do when making the first part of a knot.

Pull the ends in opposite directions, tightening the scarf and pulling your hair back into position.

Secure the ends by wrapping around again and tucking the ends under.

Variation - add double strand twistsStart to make puff as above, but instead of pulling hair up to a tight high position on your head, leave the scarf low on your head.Make two strand twists around the scarf. Tuck the ends of the twists under, in front of the scarf. Pull hair into a high position, make the individual twists and tuck them in behind the scarf.

Variation: Try leaving a little hair out in the front and making a 2 strand twist/out to cascade over your forehead.Variation: Leave the puff out, with only a few twists tucked in at the side.

For a floppier, chunky puff, do the shake in the shower with your favorite products and immediately pull hair into a puff.If you rinse your hair while it is in twists, then take them out wet, this will also give you a floppy puff.Don't pull scarf up too high or you'll lose the flopp.Encourage hair to flop over the scarf by gently pulling on the coils when wet.

Variation: cornrow the front and sides, secure with bobby pins and wear as a FROHAWK

Tips and Tricks

For a perfectly round, compact puffspritz puff with water and wrap a scarf around itpat hair down through scarf into a round shaperemove scarf after 10 minutes.

To smooth a fuzzy hairline and create shiny waves...

spritz hair with a mist of water

brush hair gently with a boar bristle brush

**optional** put a little of your fave styling product on hair

wrap a satin scarf around the hair and tie firmly at back

push the scarf back a little

after ten minutes, remove satin scarf

Extra tip: Carry a little satin scarf with you to work for a quick freshen up on a bathroom or lunch break.To keep your puff fresh all daycarry with you a small bottle of water mixed with a little sweet almond oil and a couple of drops of essential oil.whenever hair starts to look or feel dry, give it a little spritz and fluffyour hair will smell great and be given a sparkly lift, too

To show a little lengthCreate your puff when wet and as it dries, gently stretch out the individual pieces. This reduces shrinkage and adds texture

Experiment with your hair and have fun!Try flat twists and cornrows into an afro puff!

Patricia Gaines aka Deecoily is the founder and creator of Nappturality in 2002, the beginning of the natural hair movement. Since 2000 she has been blogging on all things natural hair, Black culture and politics.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Copyright 2002 - 2017 Nappturality.com (TM) All Rights Reserved -- Privacy Policy. As the ordinary or otherwise use(s) of my homemade hair recipes or styling techniques and hair advice is outside the control of Nappturality.com., no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the effect(s) of such use(s), (including damage or injury), or the results obtained. Nappturality.com expressly disclaims responsibility as to the ordinary or otherwise use(s). Furthermore, nothing contained herein should be considered as a recommendation by Nappturality.com as to the fitness for any use. The liability of Nappturality.com does not include any consequential losses from the use of advice given here. The articles on this website may be reproduced in whole or in part provided that the reproduction includes a credit of authorship to "Nappturality.com", plus a crawlable link to either http://www.nappturality.com/ or to the original article on this site. Contact us if you would like to reproduce an article on your site.